Poker Variations You Can Play on Ventury Games

Texas Hold'em

This is the most popular variation of poker.Each player is dealt two cards face down that only they can see and use. Then, five community cards are dealt in the middle of the table that all players can see and use with their hand. Players can make their five-card hand from both, one, or none of their hidden cards in combination with the community cards.

The game is split into four rounds of betting. Betting starts from the player position next to the dealer button (in online games, the dealer button replaces the real dealer) and moves clockwise after each hand. The game works as follows:

1. The Blind Bets

Before the game begins, the two players “seated” to the left of the dealer post blind bets. These are called blinds because they are made before the players have seen any cards. The player to the left of the dealer posts the “small blind”, and the player positioned to his left then posts the “big blind.” The blinds ensure that there is some money in the pot at the start of the game.

2. The Pre-Flop

Once the blinds are made, each player receives two cards face down. After that, the first player to the left of the one who made the big blind opens the betting round. This first player, known as the “under the gun” player, can do one of the following actions:

• Call: Match the amount bet in the big blind.
• Raise: Increase the amount bet.
• Fold: Give up his/her cards and quit the hand.

Eventually the betting will return to the player who made the big blind (the first full bet.) That player can check or choose to stay in the game without adding anything further to the pot. However, if an opponent has raised them, the big blind player has three options: fold, call, or re-raise.

3. The Flop

After the first round, the three community cards are face up on the table. Players can use these to make their five-card hand. A second round of betting follows.

4. The Turn

The fourth community card is dealt face up on the table. The third round of betting follows.

5. The River

The fifth community card is dealt face up on the table. This is followed by the fourth and final round of betting.

6. The Showdown

If there is more than one player left in the game, there is a “showdown” (confrontational moment) in which the players reveal their cards and the highest hand wins. If several players share an identical hand, the pot is split.